In a conversation with a friend where I was talking about my secret love for McDonald's Big Macs, they suggested I try to make it at home for my blog. And then I got creative and thought, let me try making this an empanada!

Ingredients.

1/2 pound ground beef

2 pie dough (you can find them usually near the chilled, pre-made cookie dough at the grocery store)

6 slices american cheese, cut into 1-inch squares

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

For sauce:

1/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 1/4 tablespoons relish

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

small pinch of black pepper (about half of the amount of salt)

Steps.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Step 2. In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned all the way through. Chop the beef while cooking into small pieces. Drain the excess fat then season with salt and pepper. Set the cooked beef aside.

Step 3. Dust a clean surface with some flour and lay out your pie crusts. You can use a cookie cutter or even a bowl (I used a circular ramekin) to cut the dough into 3- or 4-inch circles. Fill each piece of dough with about small spoonful of the beef and top with 2-3 of the cheese squares. Fold the dough over and use a clean fork and seal the edges.

Step 4. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with a cooking spray. Place empanadas on the baking sheet. Crack an egg into a small bowl and whisk. Using a pasty brush, coat the top of each empanada with the egg wash. Let them bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown!